Mirta

At Milonga de los Consagrados there was a woman who caught my attention. Her waist was so flexible that she could twist her lower body over 90 degree from her upper body. In such twisted position she had plenty rooms to maneuver her legs and could step in any direction while her upper body was connected to her partner's torso.

When doing front ochos, her upper body and lower body seemed disassociated. She only turned her lower body and stepped forward to one side of her partner. Then, she turned her hips 180 degree and stepped to the other side of her partner. While making these movements of her lower body, her upper body was constantly connected to her partner's torso. At the end of the ocho sequence, she first turned her hips to face leader's side, crossed her free leg and kept it stylishly bent, then turned back her hips to face the leader before landing the free foot and changing weight. She did so with elegance and beauty. No matter how complex the movement seemed, she executed it with ease and style. No matter how fast the music sounded, she remained calm and unhurried, giving herself time to complete the movement, yet still managed to finish the step on the beat. She was a master of tango and had an extraordinary musicality.

I liked the way she was dancing and had a desire to dance with her, so I stared at her intensely and did not let my eyes move away. Eventually I caught her attention. As her eyes met mine I nodded at her and she nodded back. So I walked towards her, keeping my eyes at her all the way until I was standing a few steps in front of her. She gave me a smile, stood up, walked towards me, and let me hold her in my arms. We started to dance.

She was an incredible dancer, light, but not too light, followed perfectly, as if she knew in advance where I wanted her to go, but she always waited for the lead and never initiated a move. She had such a beautiful line and danced with such elegance that I could not help but want to let her shine. Every time I led her do an ocho, I gave her extra time to show her style. We danced in perfect harmony and satisfaction. When we finished the tanda she said she wanted to give me her card. I walked her back to her seat. She took out a card from her purse and handed it to me. On it there printed “Mirta Mark, Profesora Nacional de Danzas”. “Let me know where you will be,” she said, “so we can dance again.”

We danced again a few days later at Club Gricel. She didn’t feel very well that day, but she came to dance with me anyway because I was leaving Buenos Aires next Monday. Unfortunately the floor was too crowded on the weekend and we couldn’t dance the way we would like to dance. I sent her an e-mail to say goodbye next morning. In her response she wrote, “These things do not happen every day…If you think the same way, let’s continue to write…and who knows, we may again have the opportunity, in Argentina or USA, to enjoy our dance and maybe an exquisite dinner…”

I miss that wonderful moment dancing with her, and am looking forward to that day!